Trust Scale – Trust within close interpersonal relationships

Abstract

The Trust Scale, developed by Rempel, Holmes, and Zanna in 1985, is a specialized psychological scale designed to measure the multifaceted concept of trust within close interpersonal relationships, typically romantic partnerships. This instrument consists of 17 items measured on a 7-point Likert scale. It uniquely differentiates trust into three essential components: Predictability, Dependability, and Faith, providing a nuanced understanding of how individuals perceive the consistency, reliability, and future commitment of their partners.

Keywords

Trust, interpersonal relationships, Predictability, Dependability, Faith, close relationships, relationship quality, psychological measurement, social psychology, commitment.

Authors

J.K. Rempel, J.G. Holmes, M.P. Zanna

Purpose

The primary purpose of the Trust Scale is to quantify the level of trust an individual holds toward a specific partner within a close dyadic relationship. It was developed to move beyond simple, unitary measures of trust by operationalizing it as a complex construct composed of distinct cognitive and emotional dimensions. Researchers utilize this scale to investigate the role of trust in relationship maintenance, conflict resolution, commitment, and vulnerability.

The scale allows researchers to isolate specific aspects of trust—such as behavioral consistency versus emotional certainty—which is crucial for understanding how different components of trust contribute to overall relationship satisfaction and stability. By employing a 7-point scale, the instrument captures subtle variations in agreement or disagreement regarding the partner’s perceived trustworthiness across various situations.

Construct

The Trust Scale operationalizes trust as a three-dimensional construct, reflecting different psychological mechanisms through which trust is built and maintained. The total trust measure is the sum of the scores across these three subscales:

• Predictability (P): This dimension focuses on the partner’s behavioral consistency and stability, emphasizing expectations derived from past experience. High scores indicate confidence that the partner will act in anticipated and reliable ways, thereby reducing feelings of uncertainty. Predictability often represents the cognitive foundation of trust.
• Dependability (D): This subscale concentrates on the inherent dispositional qualities of the partner that warrant confidence even in the face of emotional risk or potential hurt. Dependability measures the belief that the partner is intrinsically reliable and committed to the respondent’s welfare.
• Faith (F): Faith centers on feelings of profound confidence in the relationship and the conviction that the partner will be responsive and caring, especially when facing an uncertain future or novel situations. This component goes beyond observed behavior (Predictability) or current reliability (Dependability) to capture a prospective sense of emotional security.

Validity

The original publication of the scale in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology suggests that the instrument possesses robust psychometric properties. Construct validity was established through the successful differentiation of the three theoretically distinct factors (Predictability, Dependability, and Faith) via factor analytic techniques. This model demonstrated that trust is not a monolithic concept but rather a hierarchy of related yet separable components.

Furthermore, the scale’s divergent and convergent validity were likely tested by correlating the subscales with measures of relationship satisfaction, commitment, and vulnerability. The conceptual framework suggests that high scores across all three dimensions correlate positively with overall relationship health and the willingness to take risks within the relationship.

Reliability

While specific coefficients are not provided in the source content, scales published in high-impact journals like JPSP typically demonstrate high levels of internal consistency. It is expected that the three subscales (Predictability, Dependability, and Faith) show strong internal reliability, typically measured by Cronbach’s alpha, ensuring that items within each subscale consistently measure the same underlying construct. Test-retest reliability is also generally high for stable personality and relationship measures, suggesting the scale yields consistent results over time.

Factor Analysis

The structure of the Trust Scale is directly derived from a factor analysis performed by Rempel, Holmes, and Zanna (1985). This analysis confirmed the presence of three distinct, yet correlated, factors underlying the concept of trust in close relationships. The 17 items load differentially onto these three factors: Predictability, Dependability, and Faith. This factor structure provides the empirical basis for scoring the scale and interpreting trust not as a single score, but as a profile across these three dimensions.

Instrument

Test Type: Self-report questionnaire / Psychological Scale

Format: 17 items rated on a 7-point Likert-type scale, ranging from -3 (Strongly Disagree) to +3 (Strongly Agree).

Language Available: English (Original)

Population Group: Individuals involved in close interpersonal relationships (e.g., romantic partners, spouses, close friends).

Age Group: Adults

Population Details: Typically administered to established couples or dyads where mutual interaction history exists, allowing for reliable judgment of the partner’s behavior and disposition.

Test Methodology: Respondents indicate their level of agreement or disagreement with statements concerning the behavior, character, and future actions of their specific partner. The scores of the three subscales are summed to provide a total trust measure.

Keywords

Psychological measurement, relationship dynamics, Predictability, Dependability, Faith, trust assessment, social psychology research, close relationships.

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: Unspecified

Affiliation Email addresses: [email protected] (Contact for related scholarly inquiries: Ronald Okada)

Correspondence Address: Ronald Okada, Professor of Psychology, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Health, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M3J 1P

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

Test Year: 1985

Permissions and Fees: Information regarding current licensing or fees for academic use is unspecified in the source document. Since the scale was published in a major academic journal, it is generally considered available for non-commercial academic research, though researchers should contact the primary authors or their affiliated institutions for formal permission.

Reference’s

Rempel, J.K., Holmes, J.G. & Zanna, M.P. (1985). Trust in close relationships. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 49, 95-112.

Items of the Trust Scale – Trust within close interpersonal relationships

Instructions: Using the 7 point scale shown below (-3 Strongly Disagree to +3 Strongly Agree), indicate the extent to which you agree or disagree with the following statements as they relate to someone with whom you have a close interpersonal relationship. The letter in parentheses indicates the subscale: (D) Dependability, (F) Faith, (P) Predictability.

1. My partner has proven to be trustworthy and I am willing to let him/her engage in activities which other partners find too threatening. (D)

2. Even when I don’t know how my partner will react‚ I feel comfortable telling him/her anything about myself‚ even those things of which I am ashamed. (F)

3. Though times may change and the future is uncertain‚ I know my partner will always be ready and willing to offer me strength and support. (F)

4. I am never certain that my partner won’t do something that I dislike or will embarrass me. (P)

5. My partner is very unpredictable. I never know how he/she is going to act from one day to the next. (P)

6. I feel very uncomfortable when my partner has to make decisions which will affect me personally. (P)

7. I have found that my partner is unusually dependable‚ especially when it comes to things which are important to me. (D)

8. My partner behaves in a very consistent manner. (P)

9. Whenever we have to make an important decision in a situation we have never encountered before‚ I know my partner will be concerned about my welfare. (F)

10. Even if I have no reason to expect my partner to share things with me‚ I still feel certain that he/she will. (F)

11. I can rely on my partner to react in a positive way when I expose my weaknesses to him/her. (F)

12. When I share my problems with my partner‚ I know he/she will respond in a loving way even before I say anything. (F)

13. I am certain that my partner would not cheat on me‚ even if the opportunity arose and there was no chance that he/she would get caught. (D)

14. I sometimes avoid my partner because he/she is unpredictable and I fear saying or doing something which might create conflict. (P)

15. I can rely on my partner to keep the promises he/she makes to me. (D)

16. When I am with my partner‚ I feel secure in facing unknown new situations. (F)

17. Even when my partner makes excuses which sound rather unlikely‚ I am confident that he/she is telling the truth. (D)